All Shall Fade (Levi x Reader x Eren)
by LifeOfMyImagination
Summary: You were born outside the wall, free; apart from the death of those around you... till you met Levi from the survey corps who brought you to the caged world you had never entered, striving to bring freedom to those trapped as well as finding your humanity along the way.
1. Found

Your body shook as you took silent breaths, watching the group of horses enter the small area you had claimed as your own. Standing there shivering in the cold as they trod through the 'deserted' village, horses snorting having noticed your presence but their riders ignoring the signs. Foolishly thinking, it was probably to due with the constant danger of titans around due to being outside of the walls.

"Corporal, we found this." One of the people ran up to the male at the front, his sharp silver eyes glinting as he reached down to take the bundle of food and possessions, all you owned in the world. You felt anger surge through your limbs as you set in motion, running forward with an impossible speed as you jumped landing on the back of the males horse as the others looked around for what had spooked their steads. Your hand grabbing the green cloak as you flipped over the males head, pulling it with you while the other hand grabbed the precious supplies from him.

Your hand released the cloak now pulled over his head, slipping a guardless blade protruding from his strange gear landing crouched in front of him. Balancing on the small area of the horses shoulder you had, the blade pushed to his throat as he flicked away the cloak watching you calmly with those silver eyes.

"Corporal!" A few shouted from behind him as he raised a hand to silence them, his eyes remaining on your (e/c) orbs, unfazed by the blade to his throat.  
"Are those your belongings brat?" He spoke in a cold monotone voice, your sharp eyes watching him carefully as you nodded slowly, hearing the horse moan about your added weight. You pulled the blade away from his throat slightly, jumping off of the horse before reaching up and touching its muzzle gently in an apology.

"Oy brat." The man known as 'the corporal' called again as you turned away, possessions in one hand and blade in the other; thanks to their disturbance you would have to move again or the recent scent of horses and so many people would possibly attract titans. You shook your head to yourself, hearing hoofs approach you as a hand went to grab your wrist, your (e/c) eyes shooting up to the silvery ones of the Corporal as you held a blade against his wrist as he grabbed your hand.

"Let go or I cut it off." You hissed softly as he raised an eyebrow under his ebony bangs.  
"So you do speak." He hummed as he released your wrist allowing you to turn away once again.  
"What's your name and why are you out here." He called in the same cold voice as you glanced back, noticing the stares of the rest of those with him over your young body.  
"I could ask you the same thing." You muttered in distaste.  
"We are from the survey corps."

*Flashback end*

"(Name) what are you doing." Levi muttered irritably as you turned to glance at him from inside the sparring area, Eren crouched low opposite you in preparation for the training. You pointed at the brunet with a sigh.  
"He's upset with me." You simply stated.  
"Why." Levi hummed, pinching his nose in irritation at the failed explanation as you tilted you head slightly, your (h/c) hair flowing loose around you.  
"He thinks I slack off sparring on purpose." You hummed, your eyes turning back to the turquoise eyed boy as a passionate flare hit his eyes again at your words.

He had come up to you, irritation clearly across his face as you simple glanced at the other cadets redo their sparring training from military school; a place you had never entered before simply being dragged to the survey corps that day by Levi.  
"So can I play?" You murmured to Levi as he gave a curt nod of permission causing a dangerous smile to flicker across your lips.  
"You think this is a game?" Eren growled as you crouched slightly,your breath silenced as you watching Eren carefully.  
"With you it is." You whispered causing Eren to run at you with the wooden knife they had been practicing with, anger finally bubbling the boy. Your body reacted as he reached you, jumping upwards over the boy and falling elegantly behind him.

Twisting on your toes as you kicked him in the back of the knee, your hand shooting out and grabbing the knifed hand placing it against his own throat as you pinned the other. He struggled but your muscles tensed causing him to huff in pain at the tight grip on his arms.  
"That was rather dull." You sighed, releasing him as you turned to walk towards Levi; hearing Eren curse to himself a cold glare setting over your skin from his turquoise eyes.  
"What is there more?" You muttered, feeling the air shift as Eren charged at you; flinging the wooden knife to the side clearing planning to fight you with fists. Dust flying up around him as he charged your body growing cold at the threat in his eyes.

"Stop." Levi's voice hummed gently in your ear as the dust settled, the ice in your usually soft (e/c) eyes as Levi's hand patted your shoulder gently. Eren stood there frozen as you held a small knife you kept concealed in the cuff of your shirt (old habits die hard) against his neck, not drawing blood but placed perfectly over a vein that would cause death in a second. Eren's was still as you lowered your arm as well as your gaze while Levi moved round you glancing at the other cadets who stared in silence and awe.

Eren had charged you and in seconds you had stopped him all the while revealing and pointing a blade with surgeon like precision at a vital spot. You flicked the blade back up into your shirt, humming softly to yourself as you turned away; your (h/c) hair flowing softly in the wind as you made your way back to your chores before the incident.  
"Do you understand now brats." Levi breathed, his gaze over your body as a familiar shiver took him; before he stared coldly at all of the 'brats'.

"Even with humans for her it's fight or die." He sighed softly with a small glint of amusement in his eye as Eren's knees finally buckled as he fell to the floor with a sharp exhale of breath. Mikasa running over with a glare at Levi while Reiner chuckled amused and Armin continued staring wide eyed.  
"So that's how she got in without military training." Jean muttered with a glance your way unnoticed as Levi watched the group.  
"She is the only human to have taken me off guard." Levi whispered, more to himself then the others but Eren and Mikasa twitched at the words; Eren's mouth dropping slightly as a look of almost respect edged into his gaze.

"Ahh, Humans are more troublesome than titan sometimes." You hummed to yourself softly, picking up the discarded bucket of horse feed and making your way to the stall, humming gently to yourself.


	2. Human

You stretched your arms above your head as you lay back in the stable, your horse munching happily on the last of the food you brought as you hummed to yourself with half closed eyes. A sigh escaping your parted lips.  
"You could have killed him." A voice hummed to you as you continued stretching unfazed by Levi's sudden voice as his face appeared in front of your horses stall earing a snorted hello from the horse who recognised the short males scent.  
"I didn't though." You replied, your (e/c) eyes fully closing as you breathed out softly through slightly parted lips.

"Because I stopped you." He quipped back.  
"Yeah..." You sighed as you felt his glance sharpen at the comment, he knew if you wanted to kill the titan shifter he could do nothing about it; the only reason you stopped was due to not wanting to dirty your hands with blood for no reason.  
"You're still difficult to understand." He clicked with a 'tch' causing a hint of a smile as you sat up, your eyes now fully open as you watched the stoic man amused.  
"Well you've only known me five years Levi." You watched with a tilted head as he glanced at you before quickly looking away those silver eyes seeming to soften for a second.

"The day the wall Maria fell..." He breathed as you nodded, the day wall Maria fell, the day Levi met you, the day you came to this caged off world you had never known. You stood walking towards the man, his shoulders tensing at the thought of that day; the many lives lost as Levi and Hanji's group rushed back from a small mission they had been sent on.

"Do you still think of them?" You murmured as you leaned over the door of the stall looking up at the blue sky pushing away stray (h/c) hairs.  
"Who?" He replied.  
"Your fallen comrades that day." You breathed as his silver eyes turned searching your face with curiosity.  
"Sometimes, do you? You fought along them too." He called as you started humming to yourself once again, you had fought the titans that day; mainly fighting to make your way into this caged world. To meet those who had not seen what you had seen and help them reach freedom, you pushed away from the door twisting on your heels ignoring the heaviness in your heart.

"No, those who have faded away will not return, no matter how hard they are thought off." You replied, your voice steady despite the darkness in your heart, you had learnt not to remember those who faded away; those who were torn from life. If you remembered them all, from that day; from your days outside the wall; from the day the titans attacked again and so many had died in that simple town to save wall Rose. You would be consumed by a darkness you could never escape. You hummed to yourself softly as your horse flicked an ear towards you at the sound, Levi shaking his head gently at your cold words before leaving with a small click of his boots.  
"Get back to work... brat." He muttered with a small wave as you watched him gently, a small smile as your horse nudged you.

"I know he is cold, but to him I am just an aid for humanity." You happily sighed to the chestnut horse as you stroked its strong neck, its ears pricking at sound as you heard it too. The small crunch off boots coming closer. You gently touched the horses nose with your hand in a goodbye as you stepped out of the stable to meet the incoming cadet. Wide turquoise eyes met yours as you glanced over Eren with the usual stoic gaze as he seemed to jump back at the sight of you.  
"I just came to apologise." He spoke, his eyes glancing around anxiously while his body was set on edge while you simply blinked at him.

"For what?" You questioned, he had not done anything wrong?  
"Saying you were slacking when you've been here longer than any of the other cadets." He murmured but you waved it off.  
"You did not know." You replied, turning on your heels as silence filled the air believing the exchange was over.  
"Urhm (Name)..." Eren breathed shakily as your (e/c) eyes looked back at him with a tilt of your head.  
"Yes Eren." You spoke, his name rolling of your tongue with ease causing him to start slightly at the sudden use of his name.  
"W-would you like to sit with me and the others at dinner? You usually sit alone and..." He started causing your eyes to widen slightly in surprise, much to his misunderstanding that being by choice but you slowly nodded. Was he pitying you? Was he worried? Or was he curious? You had thought he would simply be afraid after the near death experience but he seemed to hold a glint of respect in his large sea colour eyes. You needed to know his angle in this.

"Great, see you then." He flashed you a large grin before turning and running back towards the group of Cadets, their eyes on you before you turned away shaking your head softly walking towards the side entrance of HQ.  
"What is it (Name)?" Hanji's voice called as you looked up at the grinning women leaning out the window of her office, beaming at you.  
"You humans are confusing, it was easier to understand Titans." You shook your head softly while she readjusted her glasses.  
"You're human too (Name), we even have the tests to prove it." She gleefully spoke as you tensed your legs jumping up into the window causing her to fall backwards in surprise as you knelt down the ledge with a small sigh before slipping into the office.

"All humans feel fear, of death; be it their own or others, pain, heartbreak...don't they?" You questioned as she stood watching you carefully, you had only divulged your life outside the wall in pieces; and that was mainly to Erwin and Levi during questioning after you joined the Survey Corps.  
"Yes, it is a basic human emotion." Hanji replied as you glanced at her with a small nod; leaving the room in silence.  
_Then maybe I really am not human _You thought to yourself with an almost sad smile, looking up to see steel eyes watching you.

"What is it?" Levi called as you slid out of the way of the door with a small shake of your head, pushing away the darkness looming in you again at the earlier thought; glancing up at the Corporal who watched you with a worried gaze, no doubt worried you were going soft before the next expedition. Fear he had lost one of his best soldiers.  
"Nothing." You breathed, walking away humming the same tune you always did as you set over that cold calmness that protected you from those you had come to drag into the outside world. You wished for them to see all those things you had seen, but that was still a dream and till it was fulfilled that chance of those around you fading into deaths embrace was a reality, trust in their existence waving still.

-Levi POV-

He watched you walking away, your (h/c) hair shifting as your head seemed to tilt down in thought. You had looked... sad almost when he had noticed you leaning against Hanji's door. An emotion he had not seen play across your features that was already limited in revealing most emotions. What had caused it? He pushed into Hanji's office the woman sighing as she pulled off her glasses and rubbed her temple.  
"What happened with (Name)?" Levi contained his usually cold personality as the woman glanced up at him with a serious look in her eye.  
"She still doesn't see herself as Human." She muttered as Levi nodded in understanding, you had always referred to them as 'humans' seeming to push away the idea that she was also Human herself.  
"She is doing it to remain at a distance." He hummed as Hanji nodded.  
"She doesn't seem to wish to accept she is the same as us, its as if she does not trust us to remain around her so she desensitises herself to our existence." Hanji sighed, her head hitting the desk as he flopped onto it. Levi clicking his tongue in thought.

"Fade away..." He breathed her earlier words as Hanji glanced up at his softened grey eyes, he had thought you were simply unmoved by death as many others were but in reality... maybe it moved you more than anyone. You had told him off how many you had travelled with and lost before their meeting, having given up on surviving with the surprised amount of others outside the wall.  
"She really is still so difficult to understand." He hummed to himself, a shiver of fear and care at the mystery and coldness still wrapped around you after all these years.


	3. Freedom

"What is it." Levi hummed as you watched the scene before you with calm (e/c) eyes, surveying your surroundings as Hanji ran like the mad woman she was; followed by Petra and the others in Levi's squad. All preparing for Eren's latest test run as a Titan Shifter, your gaze finally falling from the commotion as you glanced at the stoic man leaned against a tree next to you.  
"He is... strange." You breathed as Eren flashed a smile at you with those bright turquoise eyes as you nodded in a greeting response before he was pulled towards the dried up well by Hanji's forceful grin.

"Are we really ones to judge." Levi sighed causing you to flick to him as he ran a hand through his ebony hair while you nodded in agreement.  
"I mean as a human he is strange." You replied causing Levi to raise a slender eyebrow at you, knowing you did not view him differently to other cadets despite his titan powers.  
"What do you mean." He breath finally giving in when you did not advance upon your statement causing you to almost chuckle slightly while he pinched his nose at you.

"A normal human would avoid someone that almost killed them but he came back as if it meant nothing." You answered finally after a moments silence as Levi turned to face you, his eyebrow still arched at your words.  
"Reminds me of you." You continued with a small smile, not many would return to someone who threatened to kill them with the knowledge that you could kill in a heartbeat.  
"Don't compare me to that brat." He huffed before walking away as you smiled softly to yourself.

*flashback to dinner with the Cadets*

Eren had practically dragged you to the table with him the day before for dinner, the other cadets glancing at you with a tension behind their gaze as you took a seat. Mikasa glaring at you before defusing under Eren's grin as he started asking you about yourself, your replies vague or non existent.  
"So where did you learn to fight?" Reiner hummed at you having joined in the conversation after your 'interesting' responses.

"You learn to fight to survive where I am from." You muttered in between limited bites of food, old habits of survival still remaining as the groups gaze followed your every move.  
"Wow, maybe you could teach me some tricks?" Eren gleamed at you as you slowly nodded unsure; it wasn't really something you could teach due to being a natural response.  
"So where was it you said you were from?" Jean interrupted with a sly smile as your gaze fell to him causing the two tone haired boy to jump back slightly under the calmness of your gaze.

"I didn't." You simply replied, flicking away Sasha's third attempt to grab your food from your plate sending her a dangerous look. It wasn't that you were ordered by Levi or Erwin to withhold your origins but you did not need to disclose that to these people.  
"Well it must have been a tough place." Eren sighed in an almost sad tone causing you to raise a brow at him as he smile softly at you.

"Such a place where you learn to kill even humans must have been tough." He hummed with the smile still on his smooth lips as your eyes fell from his tanned features staying silent as you went on with your meal. Flashes of the past behind your eyes causing you to tense as you tried to quell them, your heart beat increasing as you crushed the bread in your hands due to the tenseness of your muscles. Faces you had long forgotten smiling at you, crying in front of you and eventually dying before you eyes; your heart speeding as a coldness set over you at the memories you had thought you locked away as your eyes widened slightly at the sights passing before them.

"(Name)." You froze, dragged out of the darkness of your thoughts by his voice, looking up in to steely eyes that sent a calmness through you as the memories locked away again. Levi leaned over the table as the other cadets leaned away from him as well as the coldness around you; you looked down at the bread with a small frown as Levi raised an eyebrow in confusion.  
"I wasted food." You sighed to yourself causing Eren to laugh, the tension around your body fading as Levi clicked his tongue at you before walking away; eyeing you carefully as you nodded to him gently signalling you were fine.

*Flashback end*

"(Name)!" Petra called with a wave and a smile, the slight girl (not that someone your height could judge) running up to you as you stood from your seat on the floor with a small nod in greeting.  
"We're about to start are you coming over?" She asked as you watched the short haired woman, glancing over at Eld, Oluo and Gunther before shaking your head.  
"I would rather stay back here in case he gets loose and tries to run." You replied as she frowned slightly, seeming disappointed that you did not wish to get closer to the special operations squad outside of missions.  
"Okay..." She replied before walking away, your body tensing as you jumped into the tree you had been leaning against; catching Levi glancing your way as Petra shook his head at him saying something.

You sat with your legs hung over the branch watching as Eren climbed down the well a quick flash of a smile your way causing your body to jump as the memories of those outside the wall filled you again. Pushing a stray (h/c) hair behind your ear as you tried to push down the memories, starting to hum your tune of comfort; the same tune you had known since birth and the tune that kept down the memories of those that had faded away.

*Timeskip*

You had been sat there for over three hours now, watching from a distance as Eren failed to become a titan; finally being pulled out of the well as Levi signalled you over for lunch, you sighed jumping from the tree with grace before making your way over.  
"I-im sorry." Eren muttered to Hanji as she shook her head, starting to bandage up his wounds with a defeated look on his face. You strolled up to Levi glancing at him as he furrowed his brow.  
"This is a problem." He sighed more to himself then anything, you nodded silently as Petra went over and failed to comfort Eren while Oluo and Gunther muttered to themselves about the situation.

"Is there anything I can do?" You sighed, the distraught look in Eren's shadowed turquoise eyes setting you on edge, his gaze moving over you shooting up feelings of... companionship almost, he kept dragging up these feelings you had buried long ago and you had to find out why.  
"Talk to him, he seems to admire you." Levi grunted as you glanced at the stoic man with a tilt of your head, his sudden increase in irritation confusing you as you tilted your head but his silver eyes avoided yours.

You turned shaking your head gently as you walked towards Eren, Hanji glancing up at you surprised as you sat next to her on the bench.  
"I will take over." You simply stated, the woman reluctantly nodding before walking away back towards HQ with a quick glance at Levi confused by your, in her eyes, concern for Eren.  
"Eren." You breathed, the boys darkened almost broken gaze looking up at you as if registering you for the first time as you continued winding bandages around his hands gently.

"Don't look so defeated." You muttered as his gaze lowered again.  
"What would you know, being humanities hope by turning into something I despise and now not even being able to transform into one of those... things." He growled to himself causing an almost irritated twitch to hit your eyebrows, your fingers digging into his hands causing him to yelp and look up into your calm (e/c) eyes as you sighed. (a/n: next sentence is sort of from the English lullaby version of the AOT 1 opening)  
"There are beings that live off your fear, not only titans, and their words are like knifes as they play with your life. They'll try to control you as if they own you but... will you let them steal your freedom?" Eren's eyes widening slightly at your words, the most he had heard you speak in one go.

"So channel that anger burning inside you and fight the boundaries keeping you here till you break though." You muttered, releasing his hands as you stood up, his surprised gaze watching you as floods of nostalgia flowed through you as old comrades played across your mind from his small smile.  
"Trust me, I have seen what freedom will mean." You breathed, turning away as the memories became to much; walking with your face behind your hair as you tried to push down the shivers of coldness through your body. They were gone, faded, why were you thinking of those you had lost? A hand touched your shoulder as you looked up at Levi who nodded with a slight softness in his silver eyes, seeming to have heard your words to Eren. His touch pushing away the memories as you regained the reins on your sanity.

Eren pulled out your humanity as Levi pulled you out of despair. Eren's passion for protecting those around you reigniting old sparks of protection you had once felt for those you travelled with before you lost one to many, one person too far and you went cold. Pushing away those you met and locking away the darkness of their faded faces. But Eren's bright smile pulled those feeling back... But that set free the darkness within you also, only saved by that familiar song or Levi's words. His heart surrounded in a familiar darkness neither of you needed to exchange words of, knowing the similarity between your pasts, your losses and your hopes.  
_They are both so strange... _You thought to yourself.


	4. Fade

"Sasha if you try taking her food again she will cut you." Eren laughed as Sasha jumped her hand back as you glanced up at her before nodding at Eren in both agreement and thanks.  
"You wouldn't do that...right?" Armin laughed but you remain silent continuing to eat as you took in the conversations around you. It had been two weeks since Eren had first dragged you to the table and now it had become a daily habit.

You eventually got used to the loudness and bright life within each Cadet that surrounded you everyday, almost enjoying the company; Eren had even caused you to spend the experiments with him and the Special Operations unit, dragging you along not taking no for an answer till you eventually gave in. Sitting between him and Levi you had grown to the point where you almost... missed their company on a daily basis, you were getting pulled in to far.  
"(Name)?" Christa's gentle voice caused your (e/c) eyes to look up from the thought as she smiled at you, seeming to notice the worried look in your eyes as you nodded at her.  
"I was just saying to Reiner how we all practically know that song you hum now off by heart." Eren gleamed at you causing your head to shoot towards him, holding back the wide eyes.

"What do you mean?" You held back in the flinch of his words as his smile wavered.  
"You hum it so much we all pretty much know it." Eren smiled more gently with those bright turquoise eyes.  
"Its is a very beautiful song." Armin breathed next to you as his voice emitted a hum, the familiar notes hitting your heart as your legs shot up causing you to push away the table slightly.  
"That is not a song for you to sing lightly, please don't." You breathed, their eyes on you with confusion.  
"But you..." Eren began, his hand reaching up to you as if going to pull you back down; pull you down into the memories of death.  
"It is a song of farewells and death, please just... don't." You started, your voice growing softer as the words fell from your lips, pushing away the emotions piling up in you. You turned, pushing away Eren's gentle hand that had come to rest on your arm, speedily heading from the corridor and exit; Levi glanced at you with worry as he stood to intercept you on your way out.

"(Name)" He called as you rushed towards the corridor, his hand reaching out to grab your wrist but you slapped it away.  
"Don't." You simply replied in an overly cold manner, turning from the surprised looking Corporal who's silvery eyes were softened at the emotion finally breaking onto your features. You had fallen in too far with these humans, you had let yourself get soft again; you had been pulled back into those feelings you had killed off with each splatter of the blood of your past comrades.  
_I am not human, I do not feel. _you repeated to yourself over and over again.

-Eren POV-

He watched you storm away, his mouth slightly parted at the sudden outburst as his fist clenched with worry. Levi's sharp gaze turning to him as the Corporal practically stormed over to the Cadets table; hands slamming down on the table causing everyone to jump.  
"What happened." He growled, Eren watching the anger on the Corporal's face gaining a final glance of your (h/c) hair flowing as you faded into the corridor.  
"Brats, what did you say to her?" Levi breathed, his silver eyes holding that dangerous glint that caused Eren to flinch as Jean finally managed to speak up.

"W-we were talking about that song she always hums and she suddenly ran off saying we should not take it lightly." Jeans ridged figure informed Levi as he turned away with a sigh, taking a few steps towards the corridor.  
"I don't see why she is so special, we have all lost people." Jean muttered under his breath causing a flare of anger to surge through Eren his eyes glancing over the bandages you had wrapped around his hands; they had healed by now but he still wore one as a reminder of your words.

"Say that again Brat." Levi's voice hummed in a low register, his face next to Jean's in seconds, reacting before Eren had got the chance to pummel the horse-faced Cadet himself.  
"(Name) knows more about the world, life, death and freedom than any of you. She was the only one here born free outside of the wall and that came with a price. So if she tells you something, there is a damn good reason." Levi growled, his eyes glancing over Eren in a warning; his words explaining many of the strange things you had said to the titan shifter. The corporal straightened, turning away as Jean's ghost pale face had sweat drops of fear running down it.

"Are you going after her?" Eren called, standing from the table as Levi clicked his tongue sending a shiver of fear through Eren after the earlier display.  
"If she wanted to talk to someone... she would have." He sighed, clenching his fist that you had slapped away slightly before walking back to the squad leaders table with a sour look on his face. Eren lowered himself back to the table; flashes of your (e/c) eyes and soft (h/c) hair running through his mind.

He had been interested in you since before that day in the sparring arena, only using irritation as an excuse to test your unseen skill. You had always been distant, (e/c) eyes gazing off into some unforeseen future as you hummed to yourself, always alone aside from when Eren had seen you by Levi's side. Pushing away those around you as if you did not want to get too close, as if you were scared for them and yet no emotion of the sort played across your features when he had seen you.

You had been calling them all "human" less, speaking to them by name instead. He had thoughts he knew you, was getting closer to you; he wanted to, especially after the day of the experiment, your words resonating through him and driving him on. The understanding behind your voice as you said the words now made clear by knowing you were not of this world, you were from outside; somehow having surviving a freedom tainted by Titans and no doubt blood. _That is why all killing is that same to her, be it human or titan; survival is all that mattered _

Eren stood, ignoring the mummers around him speculating how you had lived outside of the wall Mikasa and Armin's worried gaze on their friend as he walked out of the mess hall ignoring the warning glares from Levi. Heading to find you and save you from whatever darkness lurked in your heart of your past. A darkness he had known the day the Titans tore away his home and his mother...

\- Levi POV-

"Aren't you going to follow her?" Hanji's voice hummed in his ear as he stabbed at his food violently glaring at Eren as he left to follow you before turning his icy stare to Hanji.  
"If she wanted to talk she has had five years, I don't see why now that Jaeger brat has caused all of this." He muttered, unable to control his sour tongue causing Hanji to laugh in surprise shifting her glasses.  
"I don't think he is the only one who has had an affect on her, trust me. Go." She whispered to him causing him to raise an eyebrow as he furrowed his brow.  
"What are you on about." He sighed, his hand hurting from your slap but he knew it was more of a psychological hurt then anything else.

"You have seen that look when she falls into her thoughts, her past obviously eating away at her. Only you have ever been able to pull her out of that; and that was since the first day we met her." Hanji murmured through a mouthful watching as Levi stood muttering to himself about how much trouble you had caused his life before finally setting off for the corridor and eventually you.

-Reader POV-

You sat leaned against a tree, your knees pulled up into your chest with your head buried into them; your arms wrapped around your slim legs as you curled into yourself; You had gotten to attached, you had fallen to far.  
_I'm not one of them. I'm not one of them. _you thought to yourself, flashes of the past five year; Levi, Eren, all those who had come and gone and most recently the brightness of the lives of those surrounding you. Feeling as if you had been dragged into the centre of those you had promised not to get attached to.

"I'm sorry." You whispered, your voice cracking as you thought of your family; your past friends and travel companions; the sights you had seen with so many people blinding you till that world was eventually drowned in crimson. The crimson of their deaths.  
"I'm sorry you faded away without me." You sobbed slightly, trying to pull up that cold cloak of ice around your heart but failing; clenching your fists to the point your nails dug into your skin causing your hands to bleed.  
_Fade away, your already faded away so leave me please _You begged the smiling memories of your mind, words floating up to you from the darkness.

_"(Name) whenever you are lost or lose someone and feel as if you are going to break, remember this. For our freedom remember this." _Your mothers soft voice called as you started to hum the tune that had kept you sane all this time. The notes not enough to push away the faces of those long gone. Your pushed your hair away, leaning your head back against the bark taking a breath as you sung out the words you had long carved into you, the words of death and goodbye; (a/n yes this song is from LOTR but its beautiful)

_'Home is behind, the world ahead,  
and there are many paths to tread,  
through shadow, to the edge of night,  
until the stars are all alight,  
mist and shadow, cloud and shade,  
all shall fade,  
all shall fade...' _

The words left your lips as you felt heat running down your cheeks, despite the faces of those long dead having faded from your mind their presence was still there; weighing down your soul forevermore. Your ears pricked at the sound of crunching leaves, a boot appearing from behind the tree as your body jumped at the presence; your hands quickly pushing away the unattended tear on your cheek.  
_I'm not one of them _you reminded to yourself as you heard a familiar voice call your name gently.


	5. Levi

**Levi End**

"Oi." Levi sighed after you not replying to him as he called your name, you looked into his steely eyes feeling yourself start to fall again. You looked away quickly pushing away a tear soaked (h/c) hair from your face before standing.  
"If this is about slapping your hand I apologise." You replied to his stare in a monotone voice. _I am not human, to these people I am just a tool... I am not human. _You felt yourself sinking into the darkness as you turned to walk away, Levi's eyes still bearing into you.

"Why are you pulling away?" Levi called causing you to flinch to a stop pushing down any emotion as you looked back with a blank face.  
"Pulling away from what? You humans are so strange." You hummed in a monotone fashion causing his brow to furrow before his body flew towards yours; your numbed mind unable to dodge as he hit you full force against a tree. You stared into those silver eyes as you felt the cold metal of your own knife at your throat, ignoring the strange sensation in your knees. Levi watched your face as if looking for something as you felt the heat return to your eyes as the knife pressed further against your windpipe a trail of blood flowing gently down your skin.

_What is this feeling? _You thought as the killing intent became clear in Levi's eyes, your legs shaking further as flashed of the cadets smiling faces pulled over your thoughts.  
"See your human too." He breathed as you felt the warmth of tears down your cheeks once again, the knife moving away from your throat as his steel eyes softened your legs finally giving way as you fell to the floor with a sharp exhale.  
"What the hell is this." You sobbed, your hands gripping your head as you curled into yourself. _what was this feeling? Why had I reacted that way, I held no fear of death; or fading away._

"You're scared." Levi breathed, his hand placed gently on your back as you felt the tears increase as his touch and soft voice.  
"No... I don't f-feel fear... I-im not like you all." You breathed shakily, looking up at Levi with a red tear stained face; his eyes widening slightly at the unusual sight as he sighed, his arms wrapping around you surrounding you in warmth.  
"You are (Name), your more human than anyone I have ever met." He sighed into your hair as you felt the darkness within you lessen as you leaned into the warmth his body held slightly.

"W-why do I feel these things now?" You hiccupped as he continued to embrace you.  
"Because you care for them, all of those brats and Hanji and... me." He hummed as you pulled away looking up at him wide eyed, the memories of your past pulling your back down into darkness only to once again be saved by his touch.  
"This... humanity comes with a price." You sighed as his rough hands wiped your wet face with a small nod. Leaning back against a tree pulling you with him so your head was resting on his chest as his arms wrapped around you again. You tensed for a second at the unusual contact before relaxing into him, realizing how cold you had been alone; how frozen you had felt under that icy cape of safety you had erected long ago. Your voice emitted a soft hum as you began to play the tune one again, Levi glancing down at you.

"Who are you saying goodbye to?" He breathed as you sighed the tune looking up at the sky with a small smile of farewell.  
"Those who have faded away and the darkness of their deaths on my heart." You hummed quietly as he pulled you closer to him protectively, his cloak covering you like a blanket as you sighed into his scent.  
"Who are you filling your heart with instead?" He questioned as you felt his eyes on you, you turned feeling his hand graze away stray (h/c) hairs causing a small smile on both your lips.

"My fellow comrades the cadets." You replied, noticing the sour look flicker across his face as he looked away causing a chuckle of air to escape your lips as he looked back.  
"And you of course." You whispered, pushing into the warmth of his touch; a warmth you would now long for forever as he clicked his tongue in irritation but pulled you into him; his head nuzzling into your neck with a small smile at your words.  
"Just promise me..." You sighed as he pulled away looking at you with the usual serious stare.

"Don't fade away before me or before our freedom." He watched you, as you closed your eyes trying to push down the sadness at this thought; not used to such vivid emotions after having numbed them for so long. You felt a soft heat on your lips that quickly dispersed, your eyes opening to see Levi watching you, a slight tint to his cheeks as he glanced away.  
"I cannot promise but... I will try."

_Mother...everyone...I hope this feeling does not fade. _


End file.
